Everyone is invited to come by and see this beautifully recreated park space on the intracoastal waterway in Palm Beach. It is serene and peaceful.
Back in 1946, Col. E.R. Bradley donated his beach club and home on the Intracoastal Waterway in Palm Beach to the town. The Gilded Age buildings were razed but the tea house and Artemus Fountain were left, elements from the past. The Garden Club and the town worked together on new designs for a public park in this 4.4-acre area.
According to Amanda Skier, executive director of the Preservation Foundation of Palm Beach, the comprehensive landscape plan was 71 years in the making. Spearheaded by the Foundation, this effort is already enjoyed by many who walk through the Park daily.
The Park has become a gathering place and source of community pride at the northernmost entrance to Palm Beach. Five educational panels at the Tea House tell visitors about the beautification, those who worked on and contributed to it, and the town’s prehistoric legacy. The panels were authored and curated by the Preservation Foundation, Historical Society of Palm Beach County, Flagler Museum and the Archaeological and Historical Conservancy.
The Florida Trust for Historic Preservation, a non-profit dedicated to protecting the state’s heritage and history, founded in 1978, is a partner of the National Trust for Historic Preservation. It has now given the Preservation Foundation its award for meritorious achievement in the field of infill design, acknowledging construction or reconstruction that appropriately fills a gap in a streetscape.
The beautification project is ongoing. They note that the Bradley Park beautification is a great example of a revamped outdoor space that the public can enjoy. This is a statewide honor.
Those who are familiar with local Palm Beach interests know that preservation is a much honored tradition here.
Retained historical elements include the Fountain and Tea House including a 200-year old massive green Buttonwood Tree donated by local homeowner Stephen Levin. It is 35’ high and 50’ across. When planted in Bradley Park, the tree was positioned with soil made especially for it, with the same alignment toward the sun that it had in its initial location. There are orchids growing thruout the branches. The day after the move, a variety of birds were already hosted by the tree.
The Park’s redesign is being paid for by the Preservation Foundation. They are covering the cost of construction with donations, which are still being accepted. To contribute and become part of this effort, call 561-832-0731.
